The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-05-23
SILVER THE INVENTOR.
The Wonderful Invention Of a Won
derful Man.
Especial to the Press.]

LEWISTON, May 21.-I called today upon
Silver, the invenror, and obtained the fol-
lowing:
Mr.. Silver the Lewiston Mechanical in
yentor, made famous by the invention of the
water motor that bears his name, is a tall
sober looking individual, with smooth
face, cleanly shaven; man of peculiar
habits and a wonderful development of brain
power. The inventor does not know what
sickness is, never having been in i'll health
day in his life. This fact is made most sur
prising, when it is known that he subsists
solely ON one meal day,-a rule that he has
carried out for years.
Few people realize the magnitude of his
water motor, or understand and appreciate
the wonderful originally which the maker
displayed in putting the parts of the ma
chine together. 1t required two years of
patient study to bring the motor to its pres
ent state. 1t contains features entirely new.
Said leading mechanic the other day. at
is one of the most important inventions dur
ing the last fifty years. Some of its features
are the most original brought out since the
advent of the steam engine. In future years
great mechanics of America will refer to the
Silver water motor as one of the most re-
markable Of mechanican productions"
The valve motion in the machine is really
wonderful One valve furnishes the inlet
and outlet for five cylinders. simple in con-
struction and perfect in its working. Previ-
GUS to the appearance of the motor, no valve
ON this principle had ever been seen.
Then the five cylinders and piston rods are
all connected by one shaft without "a crank,
having revolving motion all reciprocate at
at the same time
Another highly important feature is the
method of equalizing the amount of water
in proportion to the power; that is, when
the amount of power is decreased, the water
decreases accordingly automatically. 1t
changes its amount of water in proportion
to the load it carries. By this arrangement
when compared with other motors the ma
chine shows a relative difference of from
one-half to two-thirds in the consumption of
water. As an economiser in this direction it
has not yet been equalled. While this is go
ing on automatically the pressure in the CYL
inders is not prevented from being kept up.
Shortly after its appearance on the market
had been using the Backus machineswith six
horse power, The Silver motor advertised
| 23 horse power. AT the expense of the in
ventor a trial of the two machines was given
in that office. 1t was found that the Backus
motor, using 110 gallons of water per min
ute could turn off only 40 papers a minute.
Mr.. Silver speeded the press with his
motor to speed of GO papers per minute,
and was readyto run faster if necessary.
His motor was then tried on the Cambell,
Adams and large Hoe presses together "a
load which had stopped the Backus motor
and it turned off on an average 100 papers
per minute, using only 90 gallons Of water.
Mr.. Silver is a mechanical genius. He sets
down and works out complex contIiyance
with about the same ease with which the
average person sits down and writes let
ter He despses fame and keeps nearly all
of his new ideas secret for fear that the
newspapers will get hold of them.
A sewing machine not yet patented. made
| by him, can be run twice as fast as the sbest
| now in use, has new stitch and is absolute
| ly silent.
His latest and greatest inventive effort in
point of time and study devoted to its com
| pletion, however, is the tricycle.. The mode
| the manufacturer, the only lobstacle in the
| way being the want of necessary money
| All tricycles at present on the market, ht
| says have an unnatural foot motion. This
| defect he has succeeded in remedying by Sc
| curing perfectly natural stepping melton
| His tricycle. weighs about rs pounds and car
| be operated at the rate of from five to ter
| miles an hour. 1t is almost frictionless
| simple in construction and can be built at a
much less cost than other machines; is dura
| BILE and stylish and in every sense ladies
machine. The operator can stand or sit at
| his option. He believes that the tricycle.
| will cause as much surprise as did the waite
| motor as regards foriginality and simplicity